BREAKING NEWS

Orange County School District finalist for prestigious national award

ORLANDO - Two school districts in Georgia and Florida have been named finalists for one of the nation's most prestigious education awards.

The Broad Foundation announced Wednesday that Gwinnett County Public Schools in metro Atlanta and Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Fla., will compete for the prize, which honors urban schools districts for gains in student performance while reducing achievement gaps among low-income and minority students.

The winner of the 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education will be announced Sept. 22, receiving $750,000 in college scholarships. The runner-up will be awarded $250,000.

The organization noted it's the first year only two finalists were named out of 75 eligible, with the review board expressing disappointment "with the overall progress of urban school systems."